Panelists wet their palates

By Bruno J. Navarro

August 4, 2000 Web posted at: 10:48 AM EDT (1448 GMT)

CHANDLER, Arizona (The Arizona Republic Online) -- Once a week, a small group of people meets at a city water treatment plant to sample eau de Chandler.

These people evaluate the water's odor and flavor, not unlike wine tasters. But instead of bouquet, they watch for such characteristics as "musty" or "chlorine."

"The main thing that causes odor, offensive odor, is algae," said Lori McCallum, senior chemist for the city's Water/Wastewater Division.

For at least the past decade, Chandler has convened a weekly panel to evaluate city tap water for qualities that testing equipment can't measure as easily, such as different tastes and odors.

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Besides the basic tastes, which include sweet, salty, sour and bitter, panelists are given a list of adjectives to describe what their palates might encounter. They include geraniums, rubber, fishy, swampy, woody, cardboard and chalky.

The main culprits, however, are usually a musty or chlorine taste.

When algae in the canals die, they release chemicals that produce an earthy flavor. McCallum said the city could treat that with powder-activated carbon or by scrubbing down the sides of the canals or settling tanks.

"Sometimes, we've had some really tasty water in here," said Paul Bishop, a utility coordinator for the city Public Works Department.

Bishop has tasted the best and the worst of Chandler water at different stages of processing for 10 years. The status has made him the recipient of gripes from time to time.

"It doesn't matter what kind of city employee you are," he said. "You're going to hear all kinds of complaints."

Other panelists, such as Laurie Doeing, said they find themselves critiquing tap water wherever they go.

"I spent a week in Florida and smelled the water," said Doeing, a water technician for Salt River Project. "It had a swampy taste."

Pat Sampson, the city's Water/Wastewater compliance manager, said the expertise comes with the job.

"I think anyone who works in water considers themselves an expert after a while," she said.

The idea of tap water taste tests originated in Southern California, Sampson said. And although cities elsewhere put their water up against other municipal supplies, Chandler hasn't yet entered any such contests.

The city conducts the taste tests in addition to daily evaluations carried out in the lab, technician Gina Askue said.

Askue also runs the blind taste tests, complete with crackers, bottled water to cleanse the palate and snacks afterward. "They always get a snack if they make it through," she joked.

The panel votes on the water's overall quality each week, rating it between excellent and poor, and Askue tallies the votes.

This week?

"Fair, it is," Askue said.

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